Driven to Ride

Jeremy Taubman has never fit neatly into one category. He’s a university professor, published author, professional motorcycle racer, nonprofit co-founder—and a man who has spent more than two decades in recovery. His relationship with motorcycles began when, as a teenager, he wrote a research paper to convince his risk-averse father that riding could be safe. That first attempt didn’t last long, b...

Racing has always felt like home to Jenny Lewis. She grew up at flat-track events, watching her brother Johnny Lewis race and spending weekends surrounded by the close-knit community of the paddock. But when it came time to build her own life, Jenny initially chose a different direction. After six years studying nutrition, dietetics, and exercise science, she began working with children with disab...

Few people have influenced American motorcycling from as many angles as Mark Blackwell. A pioneering racer, instructor, team manager, product-development specialist, executive, and industry advisor, Blackwell has spent more than five decades helping shape the sport and business of motorcycles. Growing up in Southern California, Blackwell became fascinated by motocross just as the European sport wa...

For nearly seventy years, Brian Slark has rarely been far from a motorcycle—and his remarkable journey has placed him at the center of some unforgettable moments in motorcycling history. Growing up in motorcycle-mad postwar London, Brian saved for his first bike, a BSA Bantam, and quickly discovered a love for competition. After earning British Expert status in motocross, he landed his dream job a...

Dmitry Pavlovsky came to motorcycling later than some, but he wasted little time making up for it. Born in Eastern Europe and raised in the Chicago area, Pavlovsky was 35 when a friend suggested taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course as a relationship-building exercise. By the time the class arrived, the relationship had ended—but a new one with motorcycles was just beginning. After learning...

“Relationships are everything.” That philosophy has guided Rob Brooks through careers as an Atlanta-area rock-radio disc jockey, pastor, author, and motorcycle journalist. It also sits at the heart of RoadDirt. TV, the independent digital motorcycle publication he founded in 2019. Brooks’ love of motorcycles began with his father, a dedicated Triumph rider who always seemed to have at least one bi...

For more than two decades, Motoblot has brought Chicago’s motorcycle community together in a way only Chicago could. What began in 2005 as Mods vs. Rockers—a small gathering of café racers and scooters outside Delilah’s—has evolved into a three-day celebration of motorcycles, hot rods, live music, art, film, and the people who make the city’s two-wheel culture special. For this episode of “Driven...

Cat MacLeod has spent much of his life bringing two passions together: motorcycles and travel. Raised on a horse ranch, McLeod began riding at age 11 under the guidance of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Gunnar Lindstrom. He later earned an MBA and built a career in the motorcycle industry, holding marketing and brand-management roles with companies including Bel-Ray, BikeBandit, and LeoVince USA. Ma...

Nick Ienatsch has spent most of his life riding and racing motorcycles. He’s an acknowledged expert in his field, having won club and national championships on everything from single-cylinder street bikes to exotic grand prix road racers. In the second of a two-part interview with “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long, the magazine editor turned instructor emphasizes continuing education. Following a lo...

In the early 1980s, Nick Ienatsch was studying English at the University of Utah and working part-time at a Salt Lake City motorcycle dealership. He wrote a letter to Art Friedman, the editor of Motorcyclist magazine, asking for a job. Friedman hired Ienatsch in 1984, launching a two-wheel adventure that has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists. “All we did was t...

There are motorcycle-industry professionals who need an introduction and those who don’t. Scot Harden is in the latter category. From Baja to the boardroom, this hall-of-fame racer and business leader has been there and done that. He likely designed the proverbial T-shirt, too. To his credit, however, Harden is quick to praise those who guided him on his 50-plus-year two-wheel journey. Harden got...

The freedom of the open road, escape from the every day, and throw in a little rebellious spirit - that’s what motorcycles are all about right? Well, according to author, historian, and professor, Dr Wendy Pojmann, that idea may only exist in the US - whereas, in Italy, motorcycles are looked at more as a part of everyday life. In her book, Connected by the street, the myths and realities of motor...

Ari Henning makes difficult look easy. That is, the host of “The Shop Manual,” RevZilla’s popular DIY video series, is able to convey with authority and clarity highly technical subjects related to motorcycle maintenance. If you don’t know Henning, you might think he is quoting directly from an actual shop manual. In reality, he knows those crucial details like the back of his throttle hand. Henni...

Jared Zaugg remembers the exact moment that motorcycles entered his life. He was an impressionable teenager, who, like many younger siblings, thought the world of his older brother. “He was super cool,” says Zaugg. “One day, he comes riding up to the house on a motorcycle he borrowed. I don’t even remember the brand or model, but that was it. I thought, ‘That’s for me.’” Thanks to his parents, Zau...

Do you remember your first motorcycle ride? Chances are, you were a teenager or maybe even younger. Ken Hill is an exception to that rule of thumb. In fact, the California native didn’t purchase his first motorcycle, a Honda CBR600F2, until age 30. He began road racing the very same year. Now in his early 60s, Hill is considered the top riding coach in the U.S. “I always wanted to race cars,” Hill...

A Swiss-born adventurer, photographer, and vlogger, Nathalie Depierraz has spent most of the past decade traveling by motorcycle throughout Europe and Africa. Known to her audience as “Nata On The Road,” she leads a largely nomadic life. “I would dare to say I’m a pro traveler,” Depierraz tells “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long, adding with a laugh, “I’m absolutely not a pro rider.” For Depierraz, h...

You’ve no doubt seen Tom McComas flash across the big screen, usually falling off a building or wheelying a motorcycle through rush-hour traffic. That's because he’s a bonafide Hollywood stuntman. McComas credits his career choice to a best-selling self-help book, “What Color is Your Parachute?” Summing it up, he says, “Figure out what you like to do, and find out a way to get paid doing it.” McCo...

Ken Condon describes himself as a commuter, tourer, an off-road rider, a track-day instructor, road racer, an ice rider, a drag racer, and “plain old street rider.” Truth is, as wide-ranging as that description may sound, it barely scratches the surface of the many things Condon has done not just on a motorcycle but, more importantly, for his fellow motorcyclists. Ken is the author of two books, “...

Sam Manicom spent eight years roaming the world by motorcycle, which is an accomplishment by itself. He later put those experiences into words, authoring four books: “Into Africa,” “Under Asian Skies,” “Distant Suns,” and “Tortillas to Totems.” Each volume takes readers through a different portion of his journey, Manicom tells Mark Long on this episode of the “Driven to Ride” podcast. Manicom has...

iRideArusha is the entry point for exploring Tanzania by motorcycle. On this episode of the “Driven to Ride” podcast, Kevin Bulger describes to host Mark Long how he and wife Sylvia, a native of the East African country, founded the company. Bulger’s big idea was to share his passion for adventure, motorcycles, and travel with like-minded enthusiasts from around the world. “I’m not one of those gu...

Cory Texter was practically born with a throttle in his hand. His grandfather Ray owned a Harley-Davidson dealership in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Father Randy was a successful national-number flat-tracker and an AMA U.S. Twin Sports champion. Sister Shayna has won 19 American Flat Track Singles races. Cory himself notched two AFT Production Twins titles. Texter is the very definition of a self-star...

If you like watching riding vlogs, motorcycle reviews, or hey, even listening to a moto podcast, you have Genevieve Schmitt to thank for it. Genevieve has blazed her own trail for basically her entire career. From reporting on the seat of a motorcycle on the Speed Channel (and earning the title of first woman to do so) to founding Women Riders Now dot com back in the early 2000s - before most peop...

WATCH THE FULL FILM HERE In the classic 19th century Jules Verne novel, “Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours,” eccentric Brit Phileas Fogg and his French valet, Passepartout, wager they can circumnavigate the world in 80 days. That nearly three-month time table would have been a walk in the park for the Vancouver-based content team at YouTube motorcycle sensation “FortNine.” Ryan Kluftinger ,...

This Saturday on Driven to Ride, we’re dropping something special. We sat down in person with Ryan, Connor, and Edwin from FortNine for a full, hour-and-a-half conversation about one of the most ambitious motorcycle projects ever attempted: trying to circumnavigate the globe in under 19 days while filming a feature-length movie along the way. From extreme sleep deprivation and hallucinations, to r...

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum exists at the intersection of the past, present, and future of motorcycling. “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long traveled to the museum for the very first time this past October. His eye-opening experience coincided with the annual Barber Vintage Festival, which attracts tens of thousands of riders from all over North America and beyond to central Alabama. The mag...